Pathogenecity of Yersinia enterocolitica for mice

Abstract

A laboratory infection of Yersinia enterocolitica in mice which closely resembles the naturally acquired human infection is described Intravenous inoculation of mice with small numbers of Y. enterocolitica gives rise to a systemic, pyogenic infection involving primarily the spleen, liver, and lungs. Massive neutrophil infiltration of these organs occurs early in the infection, eventually leading to large abscesses and pulmonary consolidation. Mice infected intragastrically show neutophil infiltration in the Peyer's patches of the distal ileum less than 24h postinfection. The Peyer's patches are unable to contain the infection which spreads to the mesenteric lymph node, causing large abscesses in the medullary regions. Soon after, the infection becomes systemic with abscesses forming in the liver, spleen, and lungs, and the total peripheral leukocyte count rises dramatically to over 30,000/mm2. A serological response, in the form of agglutinating antibody, begins to appear 2 weeks after infection. Possible causes of death and the usefulness of this infectious disease model are discussed.

The cytotoxic protein YopE of Yersinia obstructs the primary host defence

“…Together with local and regional lymph nodes, the liver, spleen and lungs are affected (Wilson and Miles, 1964). Similar pathological reactions have been observed in the established model of murineyersiniosis using Y. enteroco//f/ca as the challenge organism (Carter, 1975). Thus, a common and fundamental virulence property of Yersinia spp.…”

“…Oral infection of mice that results in murine yersiniosis initially involves Peyer's patches and the mesenteric lymph nodes. Eventually, the pathogen penetrates these barriers and causes a systemic infection of the spleen, liver and lungs (Wilson and Miles, 1964;Carter, 1975). From the results presented above we may conclude that the ability of Y. pseudotuberculcsis to overcome the primary host-defence mechanisms is impaired in the yopE and yerA mutants.…”

The Yersinia enterocolitica Ysa type III secretion system is expressed during infections both in vitro and in vivo

“…Over half of all Y. enterocolitica infections occur in children under the age of 5, and 38% of all infections occur in infants less than 1 year of age, the cohort that is most predisposed to developing the fatal systemic form of infection (Bottone 1999;Koehler et al 2006). Both the gastrointestinal disease and the systemic phase of yersiniosis can be successfully recapitulated in mice, making it a particularly useful animal model for studying pathogenesis (Carter 1975).…”

Identification of the integrin binding domain of the Yersinia pseudotuberculosis invasin protein.

“…Y.pseudotuberculosis is particularly useful for studying cellular entry because it efficiently enters mammalian cells Oxford University Press in culture (Bovallius and Nilsson, 1975;Carter, 1975). This tissue culture model has been used to identify three independent pathways for cellular penetration that enteropathogenic Yersinia utilize (for reviews, see Isberg, 1989).…”